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Adaptive Versatile Engine Technology
The ADaptive Versatile ENgine Technology (or ADVENT) program is an aircraft engine development program run by the United States Air Force with the goal of developing an efficient variable cycle engine for next generation military aircraft in the 20,000 lbf (89 kN) thrust class. Objective The objective of ADVENT is to develop an engine that is optimized for several design points, rather than the traditional single point. Instead of having an engine that is designed solely for high speed (like many current fighter engines are) or for high fuel efficiency (like many current commercial engines are), the final ADVENT engine would be designed to operate at both those conditions.Barr, Larine. "Air Force plans to develop revolutionary engine". US Air Force press release, 11 April 2007, Accessed: 20 October 2009. Specific goals include reducing average fuel consumption by 25% and reducing the temperature of cooling air produced by the engine."Rolls Royce Selected for ADVENT Demonstrator", Press Release, 18 Oct 2009, Accessed 20 Oct 2009. History The ADVENT program is one of several related development projects being pursued under the Air Force's Versatile Affordable Advanced Turbine Engines (VAATE) program. After being announced in April 2007, Rolls-Royce and GE Aviation were awarded Phase I contracts in August 2007 to explore concepts, develop and test critical components, and begin preliminary designs of an engine.Trimble, Steven. "Pratt & Whitney Loses Second Bit for USAF Technology Contracts". Flightglobal, 25 September 2007. Accessed: 20 October 2009. In October 2009, Rolls-Royce was awarded the Phase II contract to continue component testing and integrate the developed technologies into a technology demonstrator engine. GE Aviation was also awarded funds to continue development of their technology demonstration core, which was unexpected as the ADVENT program had originally called for a single contractor to be selected for Phase II.Trimble, Steve. "USAF Selects General Electric and Rolls-Royce to Continue ADVENT work". Flight International, 15 October 2009. Accessed: 20 Oct 2009. USAF officials have denied that the program is an attempt to create a backup engine program for the F-35.Wright, Austin. "Lawmakers suspect jet engine end run." Politico, 16 May 2012. Operational testing of the engine is expected to begin in 2013. Applications The ADVENT engine was originally targeted at the Air Force's 2018 Next-Generation Bomber, but uncertainty in that program has led Rolls-Royce (RR), one of the primary developers involved with the project, to predict that the ADVENT engine will be better suited for a potential 2020 engine upgrade for the F-35 Lightning II. RR, who is partnered with GE Aviation on the embattled F136 alternate engine for the F-35, has suggested that the ADVENT development contracts are all the more reason to continue the F136, as any engine upgrade from Pratt & Whitney (makers of the F135 engine currently used in the F-35) would have to be separately funded, either internally or to additional government cost.Trimble, Steven. "Rolls Royce: F136 Survival is key for major F-35 engine upgrade" Flight International, 11 June 2009, Accessed: 20 Oct 2009 In light of this threat, Pratt has funded an adaptive fan variant of its F135, that may qualify for the follow-on Adaptive Engine Technology Development (AETD) program under the US Air Force Research Laboratory.Majumdar, Dave. "FARNBOROUGH: Pratt to test new adaptive fan F135 variant next year." Flight International, 12 July 2012. GE was chosen to continue its ADVENT work into the AETD program.Brooks, Robert. "USAF Taps GE to Develop New Jet Engines." American Machinist, 21 October 2012. Pratt & Whitney was selected over Rolls Royce to continue along with GE for the AETD program to mature fuel-efficient, high-thrust powerplants.Warwick, Graham. "Pratt In, Rolls Out, GE Stays On AFRL Advanced Engine Demo." Aviation Week, 18 September 2012. See also * Advanced Affordable Turbine Engine (AATE) * General Electric YF120 References Category:Aerospace engineering Category:Jet engines